adeterminerUS /ə/
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Occasionally a dwarfed mesquite raised its prickly leaves and rustled mournfully.
alkalinounUS /ˈælkəlaɪ/
any of various water-soluble compounds capable of turning litmus blue and reacting with an acid to form a salt and water
From this reading On all sides, stretching to the evil-appearing horizon, lay vast blotches of dirty-white and faded yellow alkali and sand.
alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/
(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class
From this reading On all sides, stretching to the evil-appearing horizon, lay vast blotches of dirty-white and faded yellow alkali and sand.
aloftadverbUS /əˈlɔːft/
at or on or to the masthead or upper rigging of a ship
From this reading Cacti of all shapes and sizes reared aloft their forbidding spines or spread out along the sand.
alongprepositionUS /əˈlɔːŋ/
following the length of something from one end toward the other
From this reading Cacti of all shapes and sizes reared aloft their forbidding spines or spread out along the sand.
andeterminerUS /æn/
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading With the exception of the riders and an occasional Gila monster, no life was discernible.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading On all sides, stretching to the evil-appearing horizon, lay vast blotches of dirty-white and faded yellow alkali and sand.
aroseverbUS /ərˈoʊz/
inflected form of “arise” — come into existence; take on form or shape
From this reading As the sun arose it revealed three punchers riding away from civilization.
AsconjunctionUS /æz/
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading As the sun arose it revealed three punchers riding away from civilization.
awayadverbUS /əˈweɪ/
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading As the sun arose it revealed three punchers riding away from civilization.
blotchesnounUS /ˈblɑːttʃəz/
plural of “blotch” — an irregularly shaped spot
From this reading On all sides, stretching to the evil-appearing horizon, lay vast blotches of dirty-white and faded yellow alkali and sand.
CactinounUS /ˈkæktaɪ/
plural of “cactus” — any succulent plant of the family Cactaceae native chiefly to arid regions of the New World and usually having spines
From this reading Cacti of all shapes and sizes reared aloft their forbidding spines or spread out along the sand.
civilizationnounUS /ˌsɪvəlɪˈzeɪʃən/
a society in an advanced state of social development (e.g., with complex legal and political and religious organizations)
From this reading As the sun arose it revealed three punchers riding away from civilization.
dirty-white
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading On all sides, stretching to the evil-appearing horizon, lay vast blotches of dirty-white and faded yellow alkali and sand.
discernibleadjectiveUS /dɪˈsɜːrnəbəl/
perceptible by the senses or intellect
From this reading With the exception of the riders and an occasional Gila monster, no life was discernible.
dwarfedverbUS /dwɔːrft/
past form of “dwarf” — make appear small by comparison
From this reading Occasionally a dwarfed mesquite raised its prickly leaves and rustled mournfully.
evil-appearing
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading On all sides, stretching to the evil-appearing horizon, lay vast blotches of dirty-white and faded yellow alkali and sand.
exceptionnounUS /ɪkˈsepʃən/
a deliberate act of omission
From this reading With the exception of the riders and an occasional Gila monster, no life was discernible.
fadedadjectiveUS /ˈfeɪdəd/
having lost freshness or brilliance of color
From this reading On all sides, stretching to the evil-appearing horizon, lay vast blotches of dirty-white and faded yellow alkali and sand.
forbiddingadjectiveUS /fərˈbɪdɪŋ/
harshly uninviting or formidable in manner or appearance
From this reading Cacti of all shapes and sizes reared aloft their forbidding spines or spread out along the sand.
fromprepositionUS /frʌm/
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading As the sun arose it revealed three punchers riding away from civilization.
GilanounUS /ˈɡiːlə/
a river that rises in western New Mexico and flows westward through southern Arizona to become a tributary of the Colorado River
From this reading With the exception of the riders and an occasional Gila monster, no life was discernible.
horizonnounUS /hərˈaɪzən/
the line at which the sky and Earth appear to meet
From this reading On all sides, stretching to the evil-appearing horizon, lay vast blotches of dirty-white and faded yellow alkali and sand.
itpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading As the sun arose it revealed three punchers riding away from civilization.
itsdeterminerUS /ɪts/
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading Occasionally a dwarfed mesquite raised its prickly leaves and rustled mournfully.
layverbUS /leɪ/
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading On all sides, stretching to the evil-appearing horizon, lay vast blotches of dirty-white and faded yellow alkali and sand.
leavesnounUS /liːvz/
plural of “leaf” — the main organ of photosynthesis and transpiration in higher plants
From this reading Occasionally a dwarfed mesquite raised its prickly leaves and rustled mournfully.
lifenounUS /laɪf/
a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading With the exception of the riders and an occasional Gila monster, no life was discernible.
mesquitenounUS /ˈmeskiːt/
any of several small spiny trees or shrubs of the genus Prosopis having small flowers in axillary cylindrical spikes followed by large pods rich in sugar
From this reading Occasionally a dwarfed mesquite raised its prickly leaves and rustled mournfully.
monsternounUS /ˈmɑːnstər/
an imaginary creature usually having various human and animal parts
From this reading With the exception of the riders and an occasional Gila monster, no life was discernible.
mournfullyadverb
in a mournful manner
From this reading Occasionally a dwarfed mesquite raised its prickly leaves and rustled mournfully.
nodeterminerUS /noʊ/
not any; not one
From this reading With the exception of the riders and an occasional Gila monster, no life was discernible.
occasionaladjectiveUS /əˈkeɪʒənəl/
occurring from time to time
From this reading With the exception of the riders and an occasional Gila monster, no life was discernible.
OccasionallyadverbUS /əˈkeɪʒənəli/
sporadically and infrequently
From this reading Occasionally a dwarfed mesquite raised its prickly leaves and rustled mournfully.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading On all sides, stretching to the evil-appearing horizon, lay vast blotches of dirty-white and faded yellow alkali and sand.
OnprepositionUS /ɑːn/
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading On all sides, stretching to the evil-appearing horizon, lay vast blotches of dirty-white and faded yellow alkali and sand.
orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading Cacti of all shapes and sizes reared aloft their forbidding spines or spread out along the sand.
outadjectiveUS /aʊt/
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading Cacti of all shapes and sizes reared aloft their forbidding spines or spread out along the sand.
pricklyadjectiveUS /ˈprɪkli/
very irritable
From this reading Occasionally a dwarfed mesquite raised its prickly leaves and rustled mournfully.
punchers
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading As the sun arose it revealed three punchers riding away from civilization.
raisedadjectiveUS /reɪzd/
located or moved above the surround or above the normal position
From this reading Occasionally a dwarfed mesquite raised its prickly leaves and rustled mournfully.
rearedverbUS /rɪrd/
past form of “rear” — stand up on the hind legs, of quadrupeds
From this reading Cacti of all shapes and sizes reared aloft their forbidding spines or spread out along the sand.
revealedverbUS /rɪˈviːld/
past form of “reveal” — make visible
From this reading As the sun arose it revealed three punchers riding away from civilization.
ridersnounUS /ˈraɪdərz/
plural of “rider” — a traveler who actively rides an animal (as a horse or camel)
From this reading With the exception of the riders and an occasional Gila monster, no life was discernible.
ridingnounUS /ˈraɪdɪŋ/
the sport of sitting on the back of a horse while controlling its movements
From this reading As the sun arose it revealed three punchers riding away from civilization.
rustled
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Occasionally a dwarfed mesquite raised its prickly leaves and rustled mournfully.
sandnounUS /sænd/
a loose material consisting of grains of rock or coral
From this reading On all sides, stretching to the evil-appearing horizon, lay vast blotches of dirty-white and faded yellow alkali and sand.
shapesnounUS /ʃeɪps/
plural of “shape” — any spatial attributes (especially as defined by outline)
From this reading Cacti of all shapes and sizes reared aloft their forbidding spines or spread out along the sand.
sidesnounUS /saɪdz/
plural of “side” — a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location
From this reading On all sides, stretching to the evil-appearing horizon, lay vast blotches of dirty-white and faded yellow alkali and sand.
sizesnounUS /ˈsaɪzəz/
plural of “size” — the physical magnitude of something (how big it is)
From this reading Cacti of all shapes and sizes reared aloft their forbidding spines or spread out along the sand.
spinesnounUS /spaɪnz/
plural of “spine” — the series of vertebrae forming the axis of the skeleton and protecting the spinal cord
From this reading Cacti of all shapes and sizes reared aloft their forbidding spines or spread out along the sand.
spreadverbUS /spred/
distribute or disperse widely
From this reading Cacti of all shapes and sizes reared aloft their forbidding spines or spread out along the sand.
stretchingnounUS /ˈstretʃɪŋ/
act of expanding by lengthening or widening
From this reading On all sides, stretching to the evil-appearing horizon, lay vast blotches of dirty-white and faded yellow alkali and sand.
sunnounUS /sʌn/
the star that is the source of light and heat for the planets in the solar system
From this reading As the sun arose it revealed three punchers riding away from civilization.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading As the sun arose it revealed three punchers riding away from civilization.
theirdeterminerUS /ðer/
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading Cacti of all shapes and sizes reared aloft their forbidding spines or spread out along the sand.
threenounUS /θriː/
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one
From this reading As the sun arose it revealed three punchers riding away from civilization.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading On all sides, stretching to the evil-appearing horizon, lay vast blotches of dirty-white and faded yellow alkali and sand.
vastadjectiveUS /væst/
unusually great in size or amount or degree or especially extent or scope
From this reading On all sides, stretching to the evil-appearing horizon, lay vast blotches of dirty-white and faded yellow alkali and sand.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading With the exception of the riders and an occasional Gila monster, no life was discernible.
WithprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading With the exception of the riders and an occasional Gila monster, no life was discernible.
yellowadjectiveUS /ˈjeloʊ/
of the color intermediate between green and orange in the color spectrum; of something resembling the color of an egg yolk
From this reading On all sides, stretching to the evil-appearing horizon, lay vast blotches of dirty-white and faded yellow alkali and sand.
